Everything great in the world is done by neurotics; they alone founded our religions and created our masterpieces. ~Marcel Proust

Monday, February 9, 2015

With the Blurred Speed of an Oncoming Glacier

I've been working on this blog. Transitioning it into something original. Well, that's the goal anyway. As I examine the synonyms- the word "segue" comes to mind. So let me rant just a bit about stupid words and stupid contraptions before I get to the heart of the matter.

The Mayor used the word "segue" every time I heard her speak. People started using it because she used it. It was contagious. People are like that. If they hear some new word that they like such as "tarmac" they begin using it like they had known the word forever- rather than just admitting they had just seen it on the nightly news for the first time. For everything we know I suppose, there was a time when we didn't know it.

Ok, I feel a little better.

A few weeks ago, the great Seahawk receiver Steve Largent, was the guest speaker at our annual business meeting. Largent was very gracious and a class act. I didn't know that he had done a couple of terms in Congress for Oklahoma- but I had the idea that he might have run for office because he believes in public service. He faced an absolute onslaught of questions.

During the Q and A, I asked Steve Largent what was the greatest day of his life. He might have mentioned college, draft day, the NFL, or giant contracts, his best game, maybe the Hall of Fame. Instead, Steve Largent said the very best day of his life was January 4th, 1975. The day he married his wife.

I suppose if there was one bright spot in 25 years of law enforcement- the job taught me to listen to people, comprehend what they were saying, and then write with a high degree of accuracy- what they had to say in the form of a report. On the flight home from Seattle- I contrasted last year's speaker, Adam Carolla, with Steve Largent and I compared the message both of them had delivered. The difference was striking.

Striking not because one was better than the other- but because emotionally these two men are in completely different time zones. We are all taking a journey here and we have things to learn and overcome. Some folks get it, some folks will get it, and some folks will never get it. That is the really remarkable thing.

Had my life been cut short at 47- I would have landed in the "didn't get it" camp.

I managed people. I had hundreds, perhaps thousands of hours of management training. I took great pride on my knowledge of all facets of human resource law. I detested oppressive, controlling management. Yet in some bizarre twist of fate, I think I became what I detested most. Life has a way of finding people who need to be chewed up and tossed out and I was one of them. I had out stayed my welcome and as I look back on that life- I feel fortunate that I got as much time as I did. I probably deserved far less.

I have to tell you this. I work with people now who think the very same way that I once did. They believe they are vastly superior and intelligent and I enjoy just listening to them. I find it to be very entertaining actually and in some karmic sort of way- I am forced to watch it. They remind me of me!

Great adversity can be the Miracle-Gro of emotional evolution. It certainly was for me. As I look back- it was the very best thing that ever happened to me. The very best day of my life came on Oct. 9, 2007.

I think the great lesson I learned- the one I want to talk about here- is that for everything you know- there was a time when you didn't know it. That's it. That is all there ever was. It's an ongoing process.

For 6 years, I've been here writing about what is wrong with the world. I have a list of 75 blogs I read almost daily. Every author, without exception, talks about what is wrong with the world and mostly they are correct. They are trying to inform others. There is nothing wrong with that. I just don't want to do that anymore. I think the blogging world has it covered.

I'm looking for a little sanity. That's what I want this blog to become. A place of refuge where you might read something funny, useful, or insightful. Honest stuff. The things we get right. I don't know exactly what this will look like just yet- but I'm pretty sure what it's not going to look like. So please stay tuned- I've got a couple of crazy ideas and I am just nutty enough to try a couple of them.